Stripping and crimping apparatus



L 1 ..J. VAN DE KERKHOF ETAL 3,479,718

STRIPPING AND CRIMPING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Nov. 25, 1969 Filed Aug. 18, 1967 Nov. 25, v1969l L 1. VAN DE KERKHOF ETAL 3,479,718

STRIPPVING AND `CRIMPING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 18, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 25, 1969 l.. 1. VAN DE KERKHOF ETAL. 3,479,718

STRIPPING AND CRIMPING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 18, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 25, 1969 L.. L.. J. VAN vDE KERKHOF ETAL 3,479,718

STRIPPING AND CRIMPING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 18. 19.67

Nov. 25, 1969 L. L. J. VAN DE KERKHOF ETAL STRIPPING AND CRIMPING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 18, 1967 United States Patent O 3,479,718 STRIPPING AND CRIMPING APPARATUS v Lodevicus Lambertus Johannes van de Kerkhof, s-Hertogenbosch, and Joseph Gerardus Maria de Vries, Tilburg, Netherlands, assignors to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.

Filed Aug. 18, 1967, Ser. No. 661,640 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Aug. 24, 1966, 6611896 Int. Cl. H01r 3/00 U.S. Cl. 29-203 12 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for stripping the insulation from an end portion of an insulated wire and crimping a ferrule of an electrical connector to the bared end portion, the apparatus comprises a crimping area including a crimping die and an anvil positioned to perform a crimping operation, driving means for driving the crimping die toward and away from the anvil, feed means for feeding electrical connectors and positioning ferrules thereof in the crimping area, clamping means including a first clamping member disposed adjacent the crimping die and a second clamping member disposed adjacent the anvil, means on the driving means for releasing the first clamping member upon movement of the crimping die by the driving means toward the anvil, means operatively connected to the first clamping member to move the first clamping member ahead of the crimping die to clamp an insulated wire between the first and second clamping members, insulation-severing means mounted adjacent the crimping area, and means provided by the driving means for actuating the insulation-severing means to sever the insulation on the wire, to move the insulation-severing means away from the crimping area thereby removing the severed insulation from the wire, and to place the stripped end of the wire into the ferrule prior to the crimping die engaging the ferrule to crimp the ferrule onto the wire.

Apparatus for stripping the insulation from an end portion of an insulated wire and crimping a U-section electrical ferrule to the bared end portion are known which comprise a clamping device for gripping the wire at a position back from its end, a pair of insulation severing blades arranged to be closed about the insulation of the wier at a position between its end and the clamping device to sever the insulation and being arranged theref after to be moved axially of the wire end to drag the insulation therefrom, the clamping device being arranged then to be moved so as to position the stripped wire end in a U-section electrical ferrule disposed upon a crimping anvil, a crimping die being movable towards the anvil by a press ram to crimp the ferrule to the wire end.

According to the invention, the clamping device comprises a first clamping member movable with the ram and a second clamping member mounted beside the anvil, the clamping member being automatically relelasable by a latch mechanism at the beginning of the working stroke of the ram, so that the first clamping member moves ahead of the ram towards the clamping member to clamp the wire between the clamping members prior to the insulation severing operation, the second clamping member is depressed, after the insulation has been dragged from the wire end, by a depressor mounted on the ram, to lay the wire end in the ferrule.

As soon as the press ram begins its working stroke, the wire end is firmly clamped between the first and second clamping members, the insulation-stripping and the crimping operations being thereafter automatically performed 3,4|79,7 18 Patented Nov. y1.2.5,.,.1 9 69 icc without the need for the exercise of any skill on thepart of the operator of the apparatus. Since the secondclamping member is mounted adjacent the anvil only ashort length of wire, e.g. 1 inch (2.54 cms), need be inserted into the apparatus as opposed to a longer length, etgil'Z inches (5.08 cms), in the case of the known apparatus in which the members for gripping the wire are mounted on a separate clamping device assembly in front of the crimping assembly so that the clamping members lie a substantial distance in front of the anvil. Since the clamping device actually forms part of the crimping assembly, the insertion depth of the wire is substantially reduced -as aforementioned, thus enabling a ferrule to be crimped to a wire in close proximity to a component already fixed tofthe wire. This is of particular advantage where the'wire is thin and very flexible. The construction according to the invention also results in the apparatus being simpler a'd more compact than the known apparatus.

`An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for stripping the end of an insulated wire along a short length thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus for stripping the end of an insulated wire and placing the stripped end in a ferrule disposed in alignment with the stripped end prior to the stripped end being crimped to the ferrule.

A further object of the invention is to provide a Wirestrpping end crimping apparatus that is simpler and more compact than known apparatus. 1

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upona reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in whichthere are shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that these embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the in` vention but are given for purposes of illustration in orderl that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify (it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

For a better understanding of the invention reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational View of apparatus for stripping the insulation from an end of an insulated wire and crimping an electrical connector to the stripped end of the wire, the apparatus being shown prior to a cycle of operation thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view with parts shown in section;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view partly in secof FIGURE 1 tion illustrating details of the apparatus prior to a cycle of operation thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a sideelevational view partly in sectionr illustrating other details cle of operation thereof;

lFIGURE 5 is a front elevational view illustrating 'de-" tails of FIGURE 1 during a cycle of operation of the,`

apparatus;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view illustrating further details of the apparatus prior to a cycle of operation thereofg FIGURE 7 is an end view of a detail of the apparatus;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary front elevational view" of the apparatus prior to ai cycrimping ferrules 4 which are essentially U-shaped as seen in cross-section and which arev connected in side-by-side strip form by a metal carrier strip 5. A ram 7 is arranged to be driven by an electric motor (not shown) downwardly (as seen in FIGURE 1) through a working stroke and upwardly (as seen in FIGURE 1) through a return stroke to complete a cycle of the apparatus, in response to the actuation of a switch means 8. The strip 3 isarranged to be driven from right to left (as seen in FIGURE 1) by a connector feed linger 6 moved through a return and a working stroke by a pneumatic motor (not shown) also in response to the actuation of the switch meanszS. The feed finger 6 may otherwise be driven through a linkage (not shown) operated by the ram 7. On the ram 7 are two connector crimping dies 9 respectively for crimping each ferrule 4 about the bared end of the electrically conductive core of an insulated wire and about the terminal part of the insulation of the wire adjacent the bared end of the core, in co-operation with a crimping anvil 10 on the press bed 1.

A floating shear block 11 which forms one clamping member of a wire clamping device, is mounted on the bed 1 and is depressible against the action of a return spring (not shown). The shear block 11 has on its upper surface (as seen in FIGURES 1 and 3) a wire-receiving notch 12 and has a shear blade 12 (FIGURE 7) for shearing .from the strip 3, the leading connector when disposed on the anvil 10 during the depression or working stroke of the block 11, in co-operation with shear edges (not shown) below the shear blade 12'. Mounted on the ram 7 is a shear block depressor 13, having a passage 14 (FIG- URE 3) in which is mounted for vertical sliding movement a wire clamp which forms the other clamping member of the wire clamping device and is urged downwardly (as seen in FIGURES 1 to 3) by a compression spring 16.

The depressor 13 has a further passage 17 extending perpendicularly to and communicating with the passage 14 and in which is slidably mounted a wire clamp latch member 18 having a latching projection 19 engageable in a notch 20 (best seen in FIGURE 3) in the clamp 15, the member 18 being urged leftwardly (as seen in 'FIG- URE 3) -by a compression spring 21. The member 18 has an inclined left-hand (as seen in FIGURE 3) end surface 22 for co-operation with a cam surface 23 of a pawl 24 mounted in a passage in a block 25 and urged by a compression spring 26 towards the latch member 18. The block is adjustably mounted on a ram cover plate A so that the depressor 13 moves with the ram 7 relative to the block 25.

As best seen in FIGURE 1, insulation-stripping blades 27 are mounted on blade carriers 28 pivotally mounted at 29 on a slide 30 (FIGURES 2, 4-6) which is slidable against the action of a return spring 31 leftwardly (as seen in FIGURES 2 and 6). Fixed to each carrier 28 is a cam 32 having a cam surface 33 for co-operation with a cam surface 34 on an insulation-cutting blade actuator 35 movable with the ram 7. Each cam 32 has a buffer 36 to limit pivotal movement of the blades 27 towards one another, the blades 27 being urged apart from one another by a return spring 37 (FIGURE 5). Above (as seen in FIGURE l) cam surfaces 34, the actuator 35 has a surface 38.

On a press frame F is a bell-crank lever 39 which as best seen in FIGURE 4 pivots about its shaft 40 when engaged by surface 38 (as seen in FIGURE 4), to cause the slide and thus the blades 27 to be driven rightwardly (as seen in FIGURE 4) against the action of the spring 31.

The switch means 8 is carried by a switch holder 41 (FIGURE 4) slidable against the action of a return spring 42 rightwardly (as seen in FIGURE 4) by the lever 39 so that the switch means 8 s withdrawn from ybetween the dies 9 and the anvil 10 until a pawl 43 pivotally mounted on the holder 41 latches behind a shoulder 44 of the frame F under the action of a locking spring 45. The

switch means 8 moves fastern and further rightwardly than the blades 27. During the final portion of the return movement of the slide 30, a stop 46 thereon engages the pawl 43 to release it from the shoulder 44 thus permitting return movement of the switch means 8 under the action of the spring 42. The extent of the return movement of the slide 30 is adjustable by a screw 47 on the lever 39. The left-hand (as seen in FIGURE 1) blade 27 is horizontally adjustable relative to its carrier 28 by a screw 48 to allow for different insulation diameters.

The actuator 35 has a recess 49 adjacent its right-hand (as seen in FIGURE 4) face in which the surfaces 33 of the cams 32 engage towards the end of the rightward (as seen in FIGURE 4) movement of the slide 30.

At the beginning of a cycle of operation of the apparatus, the leading connector of the strip 3 is disposed on the anvil 10, the parts of the apparatus being positioned as shown in FIGURES l to 4. The severed end of an insulated wire is laid in the recess 12 of the block 11, as shown in FIGURE 3, and is pushed against the switch means 8 to actuate it and thus to cause the ram 7 to carry out a working and a return stroke. As soon as the ram 7 begins to descend, the surface 23 of the pawl 24 acts against the surface 22 of the latch member 18 so that the projection 19 is withdrawn from the notch 20 of the wire clamp 15 which is accordingly driven by the spring 16 downwardly (as seen in FIGURE 3) beyond the lower end of the depressor 13 so that the lower (as seen in FIGURE 3) end of the clamp 15 engages the wire thus retaining the wire firmly in the notch 12. The spring 16 drives the clamp 15 with insufficient force to depress the floating shear block 11. As the ram 7 continues to descend, the surfaces 34 of the actuator 35 act upon the surfaces 33 of the cams 32 to cause the holders 28 and thus the blades 27 to be driven towards one another so that these blades close about the wire as shown in FIGURE 5 and sever the insulation thereof at a position displaced from the end of the wire by approximately the length of the ferrules 5, the depth of penetration of the blades into the insulation being limited by the buifers 36 and being determined by the setting of the screw 48. The surface 38 (as seen in FIGURES 1, 4 and 5) now engages the lever 39 so that the slide 30 and the switch means 8 are driven rightwardly (as seen in FIG- URE 4) so that the blades 27 and the switch means 8 are moved rightwardly (as seen in FIGURE 4) beyond the dies 9 and anvil 10. During this movement of the blades 27, the insulation is dragged from the wire end. As the slide 30 approaches its rightmost (as seen in FIG- URE 4) position, the surfaces 33 of the cams 32 engage in the recesses 49 of the actuator 35 so that the blades 27 move away from one another under the action of the spring 37 so that the stripped portion of insulation is released from between the blades 27. Since the switch means 8 moves faster and further rightwardly (as seen in FIG- URE 4) than the blades 27, the stripped portion of insulation is free to fall. The holder 41 is held in its rightmost position by the pawl 43 under the influence of spring 45 causing pawl 43 to engage the shoulder 44. As the ram 7 continues to descend, the dies 9 engage the ferrule 4 of the leading connector on the anvil 10 and the depressor 13 engages the block 11 so that the leading connector is sheared from the strip by the blade 12. and is crimped to the bared end of the wire. As the block 11 is being depressed, the clamp 15 is returned to the position of FIG- URE 3 so that the projection 19 of the latch member 18 again engages in the notch 20 of the clamp 15.

The ram 7 now automatically carries out its return stroke so that the wire and the crimped connector are released respectively -by the clamp 15 and the dies 9 so that the crimped connector can be withdrawn from between the dies and the anvil. The lever 39 is disengaged by the surface 38 so that the slide 30 and holder 41 move leftwardly (as seen in FIGURE 4) to return the blades 27 and the switch means 8 to their initial positions. The feed finger 6 is retracted rightwardly (as seen in FIGURE l) during the working stroke of the ram 7 and is advanced leftwardly (as seen in FIGURE l) during the return stroke of the ram 7 to move the ferrule of the leading connector of the strip onto the anvil 10.

The spring loaded pawl mechanism 24, 25, 26 may be replaced, as shown in FIGURE 8, by a fluid, e.g. pneumatically, driven plunger 50 forming a piston rod of a piston v(not shown) in a cylinder 51 fixed to the frame F, the latch member 18 being replaced by a latch member 18 shaped for co-operation with the plunger 50. The plunger 50 is advanced to drive the member 18 rightwardly (as seen in FIGURE 8) upon actuation of the switch means 8 so as to release the clamp 15.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that the aforementioned and other desirable objects have been achieved; however, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiments of the invention, which are shown and described herein, are intended as merely illustrative and not as restrictive of the invention.

The invention is claimed in accordance with the following:

1. Apparatus for stripping the insulation from an end portion of an insulated wire and crimping an electrical ferrule to the bared end portion, the apparatus comprising a clamping device for gripping the wire at a position back from its end, a pair of insulation severing blades arranged to be closed about the insulation of the wire at a position between its end and the clamping device to sever the insulation and being arranged thereafter to be moved axially of the wire end to drag the insulation therefrom, the clamping device being arranged then to be moved so as to position the stripped wire end in an electrical ferrule disposed upon a crimping anvil, a crimping die being movable towards the anvil by a press ram to crimp the ferrule to the wire end, the clamping device comprising a first clamping member movable with the ram and a second clamping member mounted beside the anvil, the clamping member being automatically releasable by a latch mechanism at the beginning of the working stroke of the ram so that the iirst clamping member moves ahead of the ram towards the second clamping member to clamp the wire between the clamping members prior to the insulation severing operation, the second clamping member being depressed after the insulation has been dragged from the wire end by a depressor mounted on the ram to lay the wire end in the ferrule.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the first clamping member is slidable in a passage formed in the depressor under the action of a spring urging the first clamping member towards the second clamping member, the latch means comprising a latch member slidable transversely of the path of movement of the first clamping member between a latching and a non-latching position and being engaged by a release element as the ram begins its working stroke to move the latch member from its latching to its non-latching position, the first clamping member being driven inwardly of the passage as the second clamping member is depressed so that the latch member moves again into its latching position.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the insulation-severing blades are mounted upon a slide movable against the action of a return spring away from the second clamping member, the blades occupying in the top dead centre position of the ram a position between the crimping die and the anvil, the blades being closed about the insulation ot the wire by an actuator member movable with the ram, the actuator member driving the slide away from the second clamping member during the working stroke of the ram so that the blades are moved away from the second clamping member and beyond the anvil, the actuator member causing the blades to be moved apart from one another towards the end of the working stroke of the ram to release the portion of insulation that has been stripped from the wire.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, in which the ram is arranged to be driven through its Working stroke upon contact between the wire end and switch means normally disposed above the crimping anvil, the switch means being mounted upon a further slide which is retracted simultaneously with the first mentioned slide so that the switch means is moved out of the path of the crimping dies during the insulation-stripping operation.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, in which the further slide has a pawl which latches the further slide in its retracted position, the rst mentioned slide engaging the pawl as the first mentioned slide returns towards its normal position so as to release the pawl and permit the further slide to be returned to its normal position under the action of a return spring.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the ferrule forms part of a strip of such ferrules, the second clamping member being formed by a block having thereon a shear blade which severs the ferrule from the strip by virtue of the depression of the second clamping member.

7. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which the release element is a tiuid actuated plunger.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which the plunger is advanced to move the latch member to its nonlatching position upon actuation of switch means disposed adjacent said anvil.

9. Apparatus for stripping the insulation from an end portion of an insulated wire and crimping a ferrule of an electrical connector to the bared end thereof comprising a crimping area including a crimping die and an anvil positioned to perform a crimping operation, driving means for driving the crimping die toward and away from the anvil, feed means for feeding electrical connectors and positioning ferrules thereof in the crimping area, clamping means including a first clamping member disposed adjacent the crimping die and a second clamping member disposed adjacent the anvil, means on the driving means for releasing the first clamping member upon movement of the crimping die by the driving means toward the anvil, means operatively connected to the first clamping member to move the first clamping member ahead of the crimping die to clamp an insulated wire between the first and second clamping members, insulation-severing means mounted adjacent the crimping area, and means provided by the driving means for actuating the insulation-severing means away from the crimping area thereby removing the severed insulation from the wire, and to place thestripped end of the wire into the ferrule prior to the crimping die engaging the ferrule to crimp the ferrule onto the wire.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the electrical connectors are contained as a strip and said second clamping member includes means to sever the leading electrical connector from said strip during movement of said driving means while driving said crimping die toward said anvil.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein switch means is disposed adjacent said insulation-severing means to initiate said driving means and is movable along with said insulation-severing means.

12. Apparatus according to claim 9` wherein latch means is provided to latch said first clamping member in position after said crimping die has crimped the bared end of the wire to the ferrule so that said first clamping member remains in a latched position during the movement of the crimping die away from the anvil.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,965,957 12/1960 Packard.

3,376,627 4/ 1968 Sitz.

THOMAS H. EAGER, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

UNITED sTTEs PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,479,718 November 25, 1969 Lodevicus Lambertus Johannes van de Kerkhof et a1.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 6, line 46, after "means" insert to sever the insulation on the wire, to move the insulation-severing means Signed and sealed this 10th day of November 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. E. SCHUYLER,

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

